Forever Yours (5 page)

“Rose,” I hear Rachel shout from the living room, her voice is
urgent and quite deafening. I quickly finish my coffee and then I
rush into the lounge, to see what all the fussing is about. When I
enter, Rose is standing in front of the TV, her hands firmly placed
on her hips and her golden hair hung loose around her shoulders. I
walk over to her, ducking my head around her so that I can see the
TV set. Rose notices me and she turns to face me, her eyes are
raging, but they look scared at the same time. Her lips are white
and her hands are slightly shaking on her hips. I look at her –with
concern in my eyes, wondering what has her so rattled. “Have you
seen this?” She says as she moves one of her hands away from her
hips and points towards the TV set. I move my eyes away from hers,
as I focus on the news flash that Rachel is watching. My heart
begins to beat a little faster, when I take in the words of the
news anchor. She is rambling on about some attack on a teenage girl
and I sigh as I feel for her, but I still don’t understand why
Rachel is so flustered by the news. Attacks are a regular
occurrence here in Portland, every weekend there is some group of
teenagers on the news, getting into fights and being arrested
because they drank too much at the latest party. I shake my head,
as I look at Rachel and I cannot put the pieces together as to why
she is so shaken.

“What am I supposed to be seeing? Some kids got into a fight,
again?” Rachel narrows her eyes at me and then turns down the
volume, but leaving it loud enough so that she can still hear. She
turns to face me and she sighs as she begins to talk.

“A girl was attacked and killed.” My heart begins to race
–this usually doesn’t happen. Rachel begins to cry, so I take her
by the hand and lead her onto the sofa. She falls into the cushions
and then her head falls into her lap. I focus my attention on her,
as I feel that she is very shocked and upset by the news. I place
my hand onto her slim back as I try to comfort her.

“What exactly happened?” I ask in a soothing tone. Rachel
flips her head back against the soft sofa, her eyes are blotchy and
red and her cheeks are stained from her tears.

“They said that she was out walking her dog and she never came
home. Her mom went out to look for her, and that’s when she was
found. Lying in a ditch, her throat was ripped open and the blood
was flowing down the street.” My heart has sunk into the pits of
hell –what if Dalton was the culprit? I try not to show my fear and
anxiety as I lock my eyes on Rachel’s.

“Did they say who was responsible?” Rachel shakes her head at
my question and then she cries again.

“No, they said it was some type of animal. Rose, I’m scared,
that girl went to my school. I sat next to her in history and now
she’s …dead.” Rachel lunges into my arms and I am forced to hold
her. Her tears are soaking through my t-shirt and her hair is
grazing my neck. I squeeze her, as I need to feel her warm body
next to mine. My mind is rushing in a million different ways and I
am now terrified and dreading my night with Dalton. I cannot shake
off my fears that he is too blame for this. I have never asked him
about his feeding methods –I was always too scared of his answer.
But these new events are going to force me to ask that dreaded
question –what does he feed on? Young girls, animals, blood bags,
those thoughts sound crazy in my own head and for the first time
since that night he drove me to the woods, I am scared of him. I
don’t know what he is capable of and maybe I should cut my ties
with him, before it’s too late. With Rachel gripped onto me and her
tears soaking my clothes, I feel protective of her. I would never
live with myself, if something were to happen to her; I need to
warn her to stay indoors. I pull away from her and and she gently
wipes at her eyes with her sleeve as she locks her eyes on mine. My
heart is pounding and I am trying hard to not to show my
emotions.

“Listen to me, you need to stay indoors. If there is an animal
out there, then god knows what it’s capable of.” Rachel nods her
head in agreement and then she throws her hands into the air, as
she catches her reflection in the mirror. Rachel lunges from the
sofa, I fall back from her sudden movement and I watch as she
bounces out of the living room –sniffling as she walks. When she is
out of sight, I reach into my pocket and I take out my phone. I
scan through my contacts, until I reach Dalton’s number. I hesitate
for a few moments and then I jump as my phone begins roar its
annoying ringtone. My heart is shaking and my knees are jumping, as
I consider answering his call. I bite my lip as I give in and slide
to answer.

“Rose,”
he says in a desperate
voice. My aching desire for him burns as his voice rings in my
ears, but my head maintains cool, as my fear returns.

“Yes,”
I say in a firm
tone.

“Have you seen the news?”
My throat
dries at his words –is he going to confess that it was him? I lunge
from the sofa and I rush to the door, I slam it shut as I don’t
want Rachel to overhear my looming conversation. I don’t know how
she would react to the news about Dalton and even if I did want to
tell her, I couldn’t, because I promised him that I would keep his
secret. I know that he is dangerous and I don’t really know him all
that well, but there is something about him that makes me care
about him. I want to know more about him and I need him in my life,
I know that’s crazy, but that is how I have been feeling from the
very first moment that I laid eyes on him. He drew me into his life
with just one look and now I am terrified because he has revealed
that he is a vampire. Perhaps I was in a daze the last two weeks,
in denial and not wanting to face up to the truth. But now with the
attack on an innocent girl, I am forced to face the
truth.

“Your voice tells me that you have seen the news or maybe you
were the one behind the story!”
I say in a
firm, sarcastic tone. I can hear that his breathing is now heavier
than before and there is a snarling sound escaping from his
throat.

“This isn’t time for your smart remarks, now please listen to
me.”

“Why should I, for all I know you were the one who attacked
and killed that girl.”

“ROSE,”
he shouts. I jump from the
sound and then I give into his command and listen to his
explanation.
“I’m sorry about raising my
voice, but I need you to listen to me, okay?”
I sigh and then I move over to the window, pushing back the
old, netting curtain so that I can see out into the
street.

“I’m listening,”
I say
defeated.

“The attack on the girl is upsetting, but I had nothing to do
with it.”

“If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”
I blurt out. The phone is quiet and then I can hear shuffling
and the sound of his car. I glance at my watch when I realise that
Dalton is driving, I scowl as he doesn’t usually go out at this
time of day and I can’t help but wonder where he is going. I focus
my attention back to my phone call, as Dalton begins to talk in his
smooth, slightly southern accent.

“I’m not exactly sure, but I have a few ideas on who it might
be.”

“Nicholas?”
I sharply ask. I can
hear Dalton sighing as he takes in my words and as I wait for him
to answer me, my mind begins to rush. I haven’t met Nicholas, but
Dalton has filled me in on his antics. He is three years older than
Dalton –well at least he was when they were human. Unlike Dalton
who says that being a vampire is a curse, Nicholas embraces it and
he wouldn’t want to be any other way.

“Maybe, like I said I don’t know for sure who it was, but I
would bet on it being him. Listen Rose, where are you right
now?”

“I’m at home, why?”
My heart begins
to pound when I press my hand against the window. I can hear the
roar of an engine and the squeak from the tyres, it doesn’t take me
long to figure out that Dalton is here. I look out of the window as
the sound grows closer, and there he is. I look out at the red car
that has parked in front of my small house and my heart is now in
my mouth, as I don’t know what he wants. I never see him during the
day and the fear that I never had before, is slowly creeping its
way into my mind. I can see him looking out at me through the
window of his car and I shake my head at him as I meet his
stare.

“Are you coming out?”
He says, with
hope in his voice.

“Why don’t you come in?”
He laughs
at my words and then he air blows me a kiss and I gently blush at
his actions.

“Was that an invite?”
He says in a
smooth voice. I shake my head at him through the window and then I
see the door of his car push open. He steps out –with his phone
lodged to his ear. I can’t help smiling at him, he is so beautiful
and god like. He begins to slowly walk over in my direction,
wearing his faded blue jeans and a black hoodie. I shake my head as
he smiles a wicked smile in my direction. His lips are turned up at
the corners, as he adjusts his eyes on my face.
“You look beautiful; you know I can’t resist your awkward
smile.”
I blush, pushing my loose hair
away from my face, I smile at him. His eyes meet mine and he
puckers his lips again, as if he was going to kiss me through the
window. I shake my head at him and then I slowly make my way out
into the hallway. I push open the front door and I stand in the
doorway, with my phone still clasped to my ear. I can hear Dalton’s
footsteps and then he is standing in front of me –maintaining his
distance as I haven’t invited him in. His lips are white with
desire and I can’t help but wonder if he is hungry? Is he staring
at me right now, with those eyes because he is thinking about what
my blood would taste like? Does he hunger to bite into my skin and
feed on me? Those thoughts never entered my head before, but now
there are all that I can think about.

I realise that I am still standing with my phone at my ear, so
I quickly hang up and push my phone into the back pocket of my
jeans. Dalton does the same and then he takes a few steps closer to
me. His eyebrows push together as my lips part so that I can let
out my words.

“Have I ever told you that you are a full grown, alpha male,
douchebag?” Dalton bursts out laughing at my comic words and then
he moves closer, holding out his hand for me to step out into the
cold day. I gasp as my skin collides with his and when his fingers
intertwine with mine, my heart skips a beat. He pulls me in towards
him and he rests his hand onto my shoulder. I look up into his red
stare and I flinch and try to loosen myself from him at the sight.
He shakes his head and then he gently closes his eyes, taking firm
breaths to overcome his desire. I stand in place, with his hand
lodged onto my shoulder, waiting for his eyes to pop open and meet
my stare. His eyes don’t open and I am shocked when I feel his hand
moving onto my chest. His fingers press against my t-shirt and I
gently shiver from his touch. He is still inhaling firm breaths and
I have to ask him what the hell he is doing. “Dalton…,” I don’t get
my full sentence out when he moves his other hand onto my lips. I
stand frozen, waiting for him to react. His hand is now pushing
into my chest and his face is now inches apart from mine. As he
holds onto me, my heart begins to pound and I watch his expression
change, my heart rate increases. His eyes jolt open and they are a
deep shade of crimson, I breath heavily as I take in his demon
looks.

“I can feel your heart pumping blood to your veins,” his voice
is deep and narrow and I pull away from him in shock. He has never
said anything like this to me before and now that he has, I am
terrified of his actions. I push myself away from him and he moves
closer, grabbing my arm so that he can make me stay in my frozen
position. His icy hand is grasping my wrist, but somehow I manage
to escape his hold. I run back into the house and sigh as I know
that he can’t hurt me, he hasn’t been invited in and that means he
can’t enter my house. I place my hands onto my hips as I try to
catch my breath, Dalton’s eyes have returned to their blue shade,
but that doesn’t alter my fears.

“What just happened?” I say in a shaken voice. Dalton comes
closer to the doorway and I back away a little –just in case he
lied when he told me that he needed to be invited in. I narrow my
eyes at him, as he shoves his hands into the front pocket of his
hoodie. He gently exhales and then he tries to explain his odd
behaviour.

“I’m sorry, I just got … distracted by your beauty, and my
desire for your blood nearly took over me.” My eyes jump around in
my head at his confession –he does thirst for my blood. How can I
be around him, knowing that he wants to rip out my throat? I shake
my head and then I slam the door shut in his face.

“Rose,” I hear him shout through the heavy, oak door. I push
my fingers through my hair and then I run towards Rachel’s room and
I push open the door. I smile when I see her lying on her bed, with
her earphones pushed into her ears. She pulls one out as she asks
me what I am doing.

“What’s up?” She says in a bright tone, I smile at her again
and I am relieved that she hasn’t seemed to notice the fact that
Dalton is here. I nod at her and then I reassure her that
everything is fine.

“Nothing, I was just checking to see that you’re okay,” I say
in a smooth tone. She half smiles at me and then signals for me to
leave, I nod again and then I walk out into the hallway. I clasp
the bridge of my nose as I make way back over to the door. I push
it open and I am surprised when I see Dalton, he is still standing
in the very spot that I slammed the door in his face. His eyes are
a cool shade of blue and his eyebrows are pulled together as he
breathes softly, staring at me, until I melt into his
looks.